Author: Indmedia

NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th consecutive day on Friday, with the education reform campaigner reiterating his resolve to continue the protest and join a planned march to Parliament on July 20.Addressing supporters, Wangchuk struck a defiant yet humorous note despite his deteriorating health.”I will stay alive by any means until July 20 so that I can march to Parliament with all of you. And if our march doesn’t succeed on July 20, then I’ll come back as a ghost!” he said.”Sonam Wangchuk hasn’t lost his sense of humour even during such a difficult time…

Bengaluru: Despite the recent Union govt notification making prescriptions mandatory for the sale of cough and cold syrups, many pharmacies in Bengaluru continue to dispense them over the counter with little scrutiny.A reality check by TOI across multiple neighbourhoods in the city found that pharmacists were largely unaware of, or were not enforcing, the new rule. In most cases, customers could buy cough syrups simply by describing their symptoms.At a pharmacy in Aditya Nagar, north Bengaluru, a pharmacist asked how long the patient had been coughing, before recommending a syrup and advising the dosage for three days. When asked if…

HYDERABAD: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday has issued a notice to the Telangana government after receiving a complaint alleging that a private educational institution in Hyderabad made Islamic religious lessons and prayers compulsory for students.According to the complaint, “Success the Junior College” in Saidabad, Hyderabad, allegedly assigned Islamic religious lessons and prayers as mandatory homework through official school diaries.Taking cognisance of the matter, an NHRC bench headed by member Priyank Kanoongo sought a response from the Telangana government.The complainant alleged that the institution required students to complete the religious assignments regardless of their faith. The NHRC has…

Chennai: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay continued with his war cry against corruption on Thursday while presiding over the second cabinet meeting since TVK formed the govt.Vijay reiterated his warning against corruption in govt departments and said that anyone found involved in irregularities would face severe action.He directed ministers to ensure that their departments remained clean and public services were delivered without fear or favour.“I did not come here merely for a five-year term. People have placed their trust in us, and we must live up to their expectations. Our promise of clean governance should be reflected in action,” a…

Ahmedabad: Come Rath Yatra and the auspicious muhurat officially kickstarts the festive season for automobile dealers across the city. Car sales this Rath Yatra were in top gear with dealers scheduling 1,450 vehicles for delivery, up from 1,050 last year. This 38% growth is the sharpest in the past three years after two consecutive years of tepid sales, giving dealers a strong start to the festive season.Two-wheeler sales rose 31% to 7,200 units from 5,500 last year. Dealers said demand was strong across price points, with four-wheelers outpacing two-wheelers in percentage growth.Jigar Vyas, CEO of a city-based car dealership, said,…

The sibling deities take a boat ride in the Chilika Berhampur: Despite heavy rain, several people from nearby villages throng Chilika to witness a unique Rath Yatra, where the Holy Trinity sailed in the specially designed chariot mounted on three interconnected boats.“Kalijai Motor Boat Association extended a free ride to devotees from Yamuna Ghat at Nairi to Kankana-Silkhari, around 500m away in water, to witness the festival,” said association secrtetary Krushna Chandra Behera.The deities travelled around a 1.5-km radius of the island at Kankana-Silkhari inside Asia’s biggest brackish water lagoon for about an hour. After performing a ceremonial ‘pahandi’ ritual,…

The canopy of a shop collapsed, killing two labourers in Ballabhgarh Gurgaon: Two migrant labourers from Bihar were killed after the canopy of a closed roadside shop collapsed on them in Ballabhgarh’s Chawla Colony on Wednesday morning.The victims, Amarjit (22) and Santosh (25), were standing under the canopy when it suddenly collapsed, trapping them beneath the debris.Locals rushed to the spot, removed the rubble and rescued the two men before shifting them to a nearby hospital in an ambulance. Both succumbed to their injuries during treatment.The two men lived in rented accommodation in Jeevan Nagar and worked as daily-wage labourers…

Silchar: A review of key road projects in Cachar on Thursday coincided with fresh flooding across Silchar.Cachar guardian minister Krishnendu Paul chaired the meeting at the district commissioner’s office to review major infrastructure projects and push for completion within the deadline. Minister Kaushik Rai, DC Rahul Kumar Gupta, NHIDCL executive director Nirman Kishan Jambulkar and officials from NHIDCL, PWD, PHE and the district administration attended the meeting.Projects reviewed included the Capital Point-Rangirkhari Road, the Silchar flyover, the ISBT Road, the Birbal Bazar -Silchar Medical College stretch and other ongoing road works.The review came a day after heavy rain inundated several…

Kanpur: A district court in Etawah has convicted a man for injuring a wedding guest in celebratory firing at a tilak ceremony in 2020, sentencing him to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 15,000. The convict was also found guilty under the Arms Act for illegally possessing a country-made pistol.District and Sessions Judge convicted Umesh Yadav, a resident of Reujaan village under Vaidpura police station limits, and sentenced him to three years and six months’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 for attempting to murder the victim. He was also awarded two years’ simple imprisonment…

The site where a 28-year-old sanitation worker died while cleaning a sewer in Gejha Sector 93, Noida Noida: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a sanitation worker who allegedly inhaled toxic gases while cleaning a sewer line in Sector 93 and has sought detailed reports from the Noida Authority and police commissioner within two weeks.On July 14, Shiva, a 28-year-old sanitation worker, lost his life during a sewer cleaning operation carried out by the Noida Authority. The victim’s family later alleged that sanitation workers were sent into the sewer without adequate…